Because safety is the natural gas industry's top priority, the industry spends more than $6 billion each year to maintain the system's excellent safety record. Serious accidents on the natural gas delivery system are rare, but the natural gas industry is dedicated to making them obsolete.

Through the decades, a variety of materials have been used to make natural gas pipelines. The selection of materials varies with the date the pipeline was placed in service, the diameter and pressurization requirements of the pipeline, and the characteristics of the local terrain. Listed below are the most common pipeline materials.